A garden true to the playful atmosphere of 18th-century gardens with the original still-functioning water features that drenched the villa’s illustrious guests: Stendhal, Rossini, Casanova and Napoleon to name but a few.

The 18th-century garden, dominated by the tall villa building crowned by a roof terrace, features three terraces. The first level, at the bottom of a double-ramp staircase, is square-shaped, with a fountain at the centre and divided into four large sections that today feature palms at their centres. The citrus tree espaliers are placed against the perimeter walls, while the steps are flaked by openings leading to the grottos adorned with fountains and mechanical moving figures. The central grotto is dedicated to Neptune and features a hydraulic-pressure revolving scene while in the grotto on the right there is a restored Lucifer automaton. There are other water features on this level of the garden, such as a series of water jets hidden in the ground along the paths among the flowerbeds. The second level was once used as a flower garden, with the Siren Fountain at its centre. From here, a double flight of stairs leads to a third level, a semi-circular terrace with a view, surrounded a cypress-tree exedra. Here starts a path lined with statues and cypress trees leading to the lowest level and terminating with a double turret entrance. A second path, flanked by magnificent conical yew trees, leads to the “Teatrino di verzura”, a garden-theatre made with steps dug into the ground and a cypress-tree backdrop.

Highlights